NFL schedule easier on 49ers after Harbaugh meeting

49ers

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, April 21, 2012

Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site for the San Francisco 49ers' NFL football stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) less

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site for the San Francisco 49ers' NFL football stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP ... more

Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

NFL schedule easier on 49ers after Harbaugh meeting

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In many ways, the NFL's 2012 schedule appears favorable for the 49ers, who have a right-in-the-middle-of-the-season bye week and a stretch from Oct. 1 to Nov. 24 in which they will leave town just once. They will play one team coming off a bye week - the Rams in Week 10 - and that week, San Francisco will be coming off a bye, too.

That is not only good news for the 49ers. It's also good news for Howard Katz.

Katz, the NFL's schedule maker, recently found out what it's like to get on the wrong side of 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Last year, Harbaugh didn't hide his displeasure with the NFL's decision to send the 49ers to Baltimore on Thanksgiving, a game that required them to travel three time zones four days after a win over the Cardinals in San Francisco.

Four months after that game - a 16-6 Ravens' win - Harbaugh still wasn't giving thanks for his holiday visit with his older brother, John, Baltimore's head coach. As a result, John set up a meeting between Katz and his still-irritated brother at the league meetings last month in Florida.

"I talked to (Harbaugh), then I talked to him the next day, and then I talked to him the third day," Katz told the New York Times. "He said, 'Now that I've met you, I don't hate you quite as much.' His brother said to me, 'That's as good as you're going to do.' "

On Wednesday, Harbaugh said he zeroed in on the first line when he received this year's regular-season schedule.

"The Green Bay Packers - that jumped out: 'Who's the opener against?' " Harbaugh said. "All our efforts right now are on finding a way to beat the Packers, find a way to win the opener. Whoever that was going to be in the opener, that's where my eyes went immediately."

After locating the 49ers' season opener, though, it's safe to assume Harbaugh began searching to see if Katz did it to him again.

Missing from workouts: On KNBR, Harbaugh said wide receiver Randy Moss, placekicker David Akers, center Jonathan Goodwin, running back Frank Gore and safety Dashon Goldson are not among the more than 60 players participating in the team's voluntary offseason workout program. Goldson has not signed his franchise tag. The others, Harbaugh said, live out of the area and had family commitments.

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